Centrifugal compressor and evacuator



Nov. 15, 1949 C. E. BASSANO CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSOR AND EVACUATOR Filed Aug. 3, 1944 Patented Nov. 15 1 949 CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSolt-AND a Y-EVACUATOR f Charles E, Bassan o,Tyler, '1lei; Application August 3, 1944, Serial No. 547,876

. .This invention appertains to a power driven, liquid sealed, centrifugal compressor and. evacu- -ator, for air, gas, and vapors.

, An object of the invention is to provide a centrifuge, wherein aliquid is vacuum drawn into an injector in a manner to form a train of pistons kor pledgets, which act to forcibly convey interposed pockets of air, gas, or vapor, to be compressed, to and through the radial tubes of the centrifuge. Another object of the invention has to do with the provision of an improved centrifugal unit, suitably powered from within or without a sealed container or casing which is surrounded by a condenser, the refinements in construction and function of the mechanism being such as to lower production and maintenance costs and to secure a greater operating efilciency.

A further object of the invention lies in the provision of an improved centrifugal mechanism ofthe compressor-evaporation type, which is constituted in a compressor and an electrically ope'rated motortherefor mounted within a sealed container or casing and a small condensing unit, especially designed for use in domestic refrigerators, in the operation of which, a suitable refrigerating medium, in gaseous form, is cyclically compressed, condensed to liquid form by cooling, and collected in liquid form in a receiver.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the certain new and and useful combination, construction, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described,

set forth in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which: The figure is a view, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, of a compressor and evacuator unit, in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawing, the embodiment of the invention, as it is exemplified therein, is comprised in a casing formed to provide a lower ieylindrical part II) and an upper cylindrical part [4, of a larger diameter, connected to the lower "part by an intermediate conical part l2. Centered within the upper casing part I4, is a sealed container l6, which houses a centrifugal unit and is encircled by a condensing coil 28, while a cooling fan 24 with its electrically operated motor 26, is positioned within the lower casing part I 1 to circulate air upwardly of the casing parts l2,

I4; about the container i6 and over the condensing coil 28. Air or gas to be compressed is introduced through the bottom of thecontainer l and passes from an outlet connection 39 opening'into a cupola formed centrally of an up- 4Claiins, (o ls-2:115)

ii' fainiygashieja cave is? than laureate the open t op of the container by bolts or the like .The ou e connection ,30 s co e t d to ,u pereu of t e cond ns .28.. wh h a i slo e nd fi u dly,a leci and cou l as at saw. n inl t c n qt quh th pe isf iwardly of the top endof a tank 38 to receive the, l du fied a A ap e iqi l ser i e valv 49 projects laterally from thelower end of the receiving tank 38 and a. plugged purging venti4 2 is provided in the top end of the latter. W Depending centrally from the bottom wall or ,the container is is a relatively Small cylindrical .ho s n ..;4l which as i n eri in QPQ mmunication with the interior of the container and an injector assembly mounted in its bottom wall. This; injector assembly is comprised in a Yenturi tube 46, disposed centrally and vertically within the housing 44, which is flanged, as at48, at-its lower end in opposition to a like flange 52,

t aws rmed th in e (uppe endlof a cyli ndrical valve body 50 projecting downwardly through an opening formedcentrally in the bot- ,tom wall of the housing 44. A needle valve 58 has its stem screw threaded axially through the valve body and'its inner tapered end assoj ciated with a conical injector nozzle fidlprojecting into thelower section of the bore of the Venturi tube Migfrom a circular, base portion 66, which is c a ped be w the ans s 48, -.1 Q t (lower) end of the needle valve 58 projects ,through a packi ng g1and 60, below which itis f provided with a hand wheel 62. The valve body .;5il; is supported from the flan ,2, at its inner .lend, which rests upon the bottom wall of the housing 44, and it is secured in place by a clamp collar 54, abutted against the lower side of the bottom wallof the housing, and a lock nut 56, a screw threadedonto the valve body and tight- 'ened up against the lower side of the collar. A

. laterally-disposed liquid inlet duct 68 connects the'container IS with a nozzle 64 forconveying j tlle'liquidcontained in the container into the interior of the nozzle 64. The liquid inlet duct 68 opens radially inward of the periphery of the flange 66 to establish communication between the interiors of the container 16 and the injector .-nozzle:64, while a duct 10 opens verticallythrough -the flange '66 for the suction feed of the air, gas,

or vapor, to be compressed; into the lower end of the .Venturi tube 46, saidduct (0 extending throughthe tube 46 and terminating at a point adjacent to the discharge end or about the injector nozzle 64; Thisduct 10 is aligned with :the vertical leg of an angled'duct 12, formed in the valve body 50 and the clamp collar 54, the horizontal leg of which opens through the periphery 01' the latter to receive an inlet connection I4 from the source of supply of the air, gas or vapor. For purposes of the present description the gasiiied substance will be assumed to be Freon or F12 (CClzFz) or a like refrigerant. A plugged outlet iii is provided in the side wall of the housing 44, for drainage of residue liquid, if and when required.

Rotatably mounted on the upper end of the Venturi tube 46, is a rotor which is comprised in a hub "I8, having oppositely arranged discharge tubes 80 extending radially therefrom in substantially spaced relation with respect to the bottom wall of the container IS, the outer ends of the tubes being upturned and constructed to form spray nozzles 82, while the inner ends are downwardly angled for securement in the hub and to establish communication with the upper part of the bore of the Venturi tube. The discharge tubes 80 are preferably braced by an annular member or ring 84, which is secured to the same adjacent the points of bend of the downwardly angled inner ends thereof. The hub 18 is coupled, as at 88, to the lower end of the rotor shaft 88, of an electric motor 90, which is supported centrally of the container IE on brackets 92, secured on the side wall of the latter. Mounted over the upper end of the rotor shaft 88, is a dished baffle plate 94, that has a drain opening 90 at its center in communication with a duct I extending axially of the rotor shaft 88, the lower end of the duct I00 terminating in a transversely extending discharge duct I02 which opens into the container l6, below the discharge tubes 80. The duct I00, above the cross duct I02, may be laterally ported for the lubrication of the bearings of the motor 90 by the liquid flow passing down the duct I00 from the baffle plate 94. The

upper side of the baffle plate 94 is preferably provided with upstanding baffle elements 98 to aid in the separation of any liquid content of the gas in its passage from the discharge tube nozzles 82 to the cupola 20, and acting to support the baffle plate 94 on the cover I8.

The device, as thus described, is to be conditioned prior to the start of its operation, by placing a liquid, preferably an oil of a suitable viscosity, within the container I6'to a level defined by the transverse duct I02, the liquid filling the housing 44 from which it enters the duct 68, leading to the Venturi tube 40. A small amount of the refrigerant is also placed within the container I0 and the mixture, at the level indicated, lWlIl fill the injector, including the connected end portions of the discharge tubes 80. This will prime the compressor which is to be started up by the closing of the motor circuit, it being understood that the motor will be connected to a suitable current source (not shown) through a suitable control switch (also not shown). With the starting up of the motor 90, the rotary motion of its rotor will be transmitted through the shaft 88 to the compressor rotor and the centrifugal action will expel the liquid mixture from the discharge tubes 80, at the nozzles 82. With increasing speed of the motor 90, the volume of the mixture flow upwardly through the Venturi tube 46 will increase until it is in greater amount than can pass through the restricted portion or orifice of its bore, causing a vacuum to be produced within the injector and, as a consequence whereof, refrigerant will be drawn inwardly through the inlet connection I4 and the spring-actuated valve the Venturi tube 40 and upwardly of the angled portions of the discharge tubes 80, the centrifugal action causes the viscous liquid to collect on thelower sides of those portions, since it is heavier than the refrigerant content of the mixture. As the viscous liquid passes from the angled portions of the discharge tubes 80 and into the horizontally disposed portions thereof, it takes the form of a train of pistons or pledgets, indicated at I04, which are separated by pockets of the gas. The centrifugal action on these liquid pistons, or pledgets, I04, is such that the gas is discharged from the nozzles 82 at a greatly .increased pressure, than would be the case if air, gas, or vapor, alone was present in the discharge tubes, .because of the greater weight of the pistons or pledgets. The mixture is discharged upwardly of the container I6 and, in its movement, separates into its gas and liquid components, the gas passing into the cupola 20 and from thence through the outlet connection 30 to and through the condensing coil 28, while the liquid settles toward the bottom of the container. A portion of the liquid will accumulate on the baffle plate 94 and will drain therefrom downwardly through the central discharge opening 96 and the duct I00, in the motor shaft 88, from whence it will passback intothe container I6 through the cross duct I02. In passing through the condensing coil 28, the gas is converted into a liquid and, as such, passes to the receiver or tank 38, by way of the outlet connection32 and the inlet connection 3 6. By providing the restricted nozzles 82, at thefree ends of the discharge tubes-80, any sudden evacuation of the latter is prevented and the discharge of the mixture therefrom is checked sufficiently to allow time for the formation of the liquid pistons or pledgets I04 and for-the same to .exert a compression action on the gas pocketed be- .tween them. To prevent leakage of the gas from between the hub '18 and the Venturi tube 46 and into the housing 44, a seal is provided and it may take the form of an annular member or ring I08,

engaged on the Venturi tube, and tensioning springs IIO, which act to forcibly hold the ring against the lower end of the hub. With this arrangement, friction between the hub I8 and the Venturi tube 46 is minimized, if not entirely eliminated. In compressors of a size and capacity for domestic refrigerators, a non-adjustable injector nozzle may be substituted for the needle valve controlled type shown, in which case, the

liquid mixture from the housing 44 will have an uncontrolled feed through the nozzle 64, the orifice of which will be drilled to a proper size. To increase the capacity of arcompressor, built in accordance with the invention, additional pairs of oppositely arranged discharge tubes 80 will be mounted on the hub I8, or thespeed of the centrifugal rotor will be increased, or both.

In order to prevent any outflow of oil from the housing 44, the spring actuated check valve H0 is housed in the gas inletIZ.

Having thus fully described my invention, it is tobe understood that any and all modifications of the disclosedcompressorand changes in the eonstruction, arrangement, and size of its parts, which may fall within the scope of the appended claims, may be resorted to.

What I claim is:

1. A liquid sealed centrifugal compressor and evacuator for air, gas, or vapor, comprising an open ended casing, a sealed container centered within one end of said casing, a centrifugal mechanism within said container, an injector mounted in the bottom wall of said container for passing a mixture of a liquid and a gaseous fluid to said mechanism for the subsequent separation of the liquid and gaseous components thereof, a condensing coil positioned about the container and between it and said casing, a fan blower within the other end of said casing for circulating air therethrough for cooling said condensing coil, a receiver mounted on the outer side of said casing, a

compressed gas outlet from the top side of said container having connection with the upper end of said condensing coil, a liquified gas inlet in the top end of said receiver having connection with the lower end of said condensing coil, a power means for operating said mechanism, and a baffle plate within said container and extending beneath said compressed gas outlet, said bafiie being dished and having a central opening therein to drain liquid separated from the compressed gas for its retention within the container.

2. In a liquid sealed centrifugal compressor and evacuator, a sealed container for receiving a liquid therein, an injector assembly embodying a vertically-disposed tube and a nozzle in said tube arranged so that it discharges upwardly is carried by the bottom of said container, a laterally-disposed inlet duct connecting said container with said nozzle for conveying the liquid contained in the container into the interior of said nozzle, a vertically-disposed inlet duct extending through the tube of the injector assembly and terminating at a point adjacent the discharge end of said nozzle for conveying a gaseous fluid to be compressed from a source of supply to said nozzle to thereby be admixed with a liquid emitted from the nozzle and form a viscous mixture therewith, a centrifugal mechanism rotatably mounted upon the upper end of said tube, said mechanism including oppositely-arranged discharge tubes in communication with the tube of the injector assembly for receiving the viscous mixture emitted from the nozzle of the latter assembly, and restricted upturned nozzles at the free ends of said discharge tubes, a baflie plate within said container arranged above and spaced from the upturned nozzles of said discharge tubes, power means operatively connected to said mechanism for rotating the latter to thereby cause the viscous mixture to separate in its passage through the discharge tubes into alternate pledgets of the liquid and pockets of compressed gaseous fluid and to eject the thus formed pledgets of liquid and pockets of compressed gaseous fluid against said baffie plate to efiect separation of the compressed gaseous fluid from the pledgets of liquid, a condenser, and means in communication with said condenser and said container for conveying the compressed gaseous fluid from said container into said condenser.

3. A liquid seal centrifugal compressor and evacuator comprising a sealed container for receiving a liquid therein, an injector assembly embodying a vertically-disposed tube and a nozzle in said tube arranged so that it discharges upwardly is carried by the bottom of said container, a

laterally-disposed inlet duct connecting said con tainer with said nozzle for conveying the liquid contained in the container into the interior of said nozzle, a vertically-disposed inlet duct extending through the tube of the injector assembly and terminating at a point adjacent the discharge end of said nozzle for conveying a gaseous fluid to be compressed from a source of supply to said nozzle to thereby be admixed. with the liquid emitted from the nozzle and form a viscous liquid therewith, a centrifugal mechanism rotatably mounted upon the upper end of said tube, said mechanism including oppositely-arranged discharge tubes in communication with the tube of the injector assembly for receiving the viscous mixture emitted from the nozzle of the latter assembly, and restricted upturned nozzles at the free ends of said discharge tubes, a bafile plate within said container arranged above and spaced from the upturned nozzles of said discharge tubes, power means operatively connected to said mechanism for rotating the latter to thereby cause the viscous mixture to separate in its passage through the discharge tubes into alternate pledgets of the liquid and pockets of compressed gaseous fluid and to eject the thus formed pledgets of liquid and pockets of compressed gaseous fluid against said bailie plate to eiTect separation of the compressed gaseous fluid from the pledgets of liquid, a condenser, means in communication with said container and said condenser for conveying the compressed gaseous fluid from said container into said condenser, a receiver, and means connecting said condenser to said receiver for conveying the condensed gaseous fluid into said receiver.

4. A liquid sealed centrifugal compressor and evacuator for a gaseous fluid comprising a sealed container to receive a charge of a substantially viscous liquid, a rotor mounted Within said container and having oppositely-disposed radial discharge tubes, power-driving means for said rotor, an injector including a suction nozzle mounted in a wall of said container, said injector acting to forcibly transfer the viscous liquid from said container and a gaseous fluid from an outside source for delivery to said rotor, the viscous liquid taking the form of pledgets separated by pockets of the gaseous fluid in the passage of the same outwardly through said discharge tubes to function as pistons to increase the compression of the gaseous fluid, said discharge tubes having inner-end portions upwardly angled from the points of connection with said rotor to cause the separation of the viscous liquid from the gaseous fluid and the formation of said pledgets.

CHARLES E. BASSANO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 

